A quote from Daniel Hannan at his blog, 9 July 2008

MEPs took yet another step towards arbitrary rule this afternoon, adopting new rules designed explicitly to prevent Euro-sceptics from forming a Group. The European Parliament operates a corporatist system: in order to move amendments, propose debates or qualify for campaign finance, MEPs are required to join trans-national Groups. To incorporate such a Group, you need at least 20 Euro-MPs from five states. […]

The new rules, drawn up by the Labour MEP (and touchy blogger) Richard Corbett, would raise the thresholds to 25 MEPs and seven states, making it harder for dissidents to register. […] So determined were they to adopt the Corbett Report that they broke their own rules to bring it before the plenary session. The report had been rejected in Committee, which should have rendered it null. But, disgracefully, and in breach of all the regulations, the Euro-fanatical committee chairman disregarded that vote and brought an amended version forward. Not that anyone will care: I have blogged repeatedly about the readiness with which the European Parliament tears up its own rulebook, and been met by a shrug of such indifference as to be positively Gallic. Bof! The EU is despotic. Et alors?

 
A quote from Richard Corbett at European Voice, 8 July 2008

The rule change would diminish the likelihood of an extreme right-wing political group being constituted. Unless people support the funding of neo-fascists and provision of staff for them at public expense, they should support [the change].

 
A quote from Iain Dale at his blog, 9 July 2008

[I]magine if Gordon Brown proposed a rule which said that you could only table an amendment to a Bill in the House of Commons if it was supported by more than two political party groupings in the House of Commons and more than thorty MPs. He would be accused of heading down the path to a dictatorship. What is different here?